Using Technology as a Solution for English Language ...

[Pages:12]White Paper

Using Technology as a Solution for English Language Learners in Higher Education

? 2004 Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. All other company names and products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Table of Contents

Summary ........................................................................................................................... 1 Background ....................................................................................................................... 1 The Evolution of Technology for English Language Learners........................................... 3 Specific Features of Kurzweil 3000 That Meet the Learning Needs of English

Language Learners ....................................................................................................... 4 In Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 6 What Teachers of English Language Learners Have to Say About

Kurzweil 3000............................................................................................................... 7

Summary

The problem English Language Learners are one of the fastest growing groups in U.S. colleges, universities, business and technical schools. Although most are conversant in English, and/or have passed qualifying tests such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), many experience difficulty when confronted with the more rigorous demands of academic reading and writing. A great many post secondary schools have instituted programs focusing on skills such as typing, vocabulary and phonics to ease the transition for these students. While helpful, they fail to provide the individualized support English Language Learners need to meet multiple course requirements. Most institutions readily acknowledge the need for additional support, but often lack the necessary staff or resources to provide it.

The solution Innovations in text-to-speech technology offer a cost-effective and efficient way to provide English Language Learners with the individual support they need to successfully pursue their studies. Versatile text-to-speech software can be easily installed on personal computers or made available in computer labs or media centers. Programs like Kurzweil 3000, from Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. enable students to simultaneously read and listen to any kind of digital or scanned printed material as well as provide a host of on-line reference and study skills tools to strengthen reading, writing and comprehension.

Background

English Language Learners

English Language Learners represent a broad spectrum of nationalities and ethnic groups. They include the more than 600,000 foreign students attending U.S. colleges, universities and trade schools as well as a growing number of Americans who speak a language other than English at home. These numbers will continue to grow as an ever-increasing pipeline of English Language Learners moves through our elementary, middle and high schools into post-secondary education. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there are currently 9.7 million students between the ages of 5 to 17 who speak a language other than English as a primary language at home.

Despite their formal education, many English Language Learners have had limited exposure to the structure and vocabulary of academic English. Even students who are highly accomplished in their particular field of study are often held back by their lack of understanding of English syntax and vocabulary.

Needs of English Language Learners

To learn more about the needs of English Language Learners, Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. interviewed a variety of educators working with this population at the post-secondary level. A number of critical needs emerged from these discussions, including:

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. White Paper

1

? Vocabulary development The English vocabulary of most English Language Learners is not sufficiently extensive to deal with the specialized vocabulary used in textbooks, technical materials, essays or articles. Because of their limited exposure to academic English, students are often unable to fully comprehend lectures or actively participate in class discussions. Many are also hampered in their ability to express themselves in writing. Repeated exposure to academic English is thought to be one of the best ways for English Language Learners to increase their reading and writing vocabulary.

? Improved pronunciation English Language Learners often have difficulties with English pronunciation. Because languages differ in their phonetic structure, and because English has many phonetic inconsistencies, English Language Learners frequently mispronounce words. Once they develop incorrect associations with the spoken and written forms of words, and these errors become "fossilized", they often fail to recognize even familiar words when they hear them and are likely to misspell these words when writing.

? Attention to phrasing and punctuation Phrasing is critical to comprehension. If words are grouped inappropriately, they lose their meaning. English Language Learners are frequently unaware of the rules governing English phraseology and often don't pay sufficient attention to punctuation. As a result, they may miss the logic of what they are reading. The more opportunities English Language Learners have to simultaneously hear and read text, the more sensitized they will be to the natural flow of the English language.

? Exposure to authentic writing English Language Learners often lack familiarity with the stylistic conventions for writing papers and essays. Many have never learned how to compose an American-style essay or write a critique. Some international students, for example, who have been trained to be neutral in their writing and avoid stating an opinion, need to learn a very different way of expressing themselves. Exposure to a wide variety of stylistic conventions is one of the best ways to provide English Language Learners with models for their own writing.

? Multi-sensory learning Too often English Language Learners operate in a closed system. They are asked to read, listen or write as solitary pursuits. Most readers learn best when all their senses are engaged. They benefit from the synergy of seeing language, hearing it, speaking it, and writing it simultaneously. Opportunities for this type of learning are limited in academic settings, especially at the post-secondary level.

? Development of independence as a learner English Language Learners often spend many extra hours doing assignments. They frequently have to seek help outside the classroom from more English proficient peers or spend hours pouring over outdated bilingual dictionaries. Reliance on outside resources limits the ability of English Language Learners to take charge of their own studying and necessitates spending valuable time on the mechanics of reading and writing that could more profitably be spent learning content.

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. White Paper

2

The Evolution of Technology for English Language Learners

The use of technology in education has closely mirrored the development of the personal computer. Since their introduction in the late seventies, personal computers have developed in speed, power and ease of use. Falling prices have made it possible for more and more students, particularly those in post secondary education, to purchase their own computers. Today, the use of laptops is ubiquitous on most college campuses. Improved access to the Internet has put a wealth of resources just a click away and has revolutionized the way instruction is delivered. More and more courses are available on-line and the use of the Internet for teacher-student communication has become a fact of everyday life.

Many early innovations in educational technology grew out of a desire to help students with various physical and learning disabilities overcome barriers to success in school. For example, touch screens and alternate keyboards were introduced to improve physical access to the computer; communication devices provided a way for students physically unable to speak to communicate; text readers provided auditory reinforcement for the visually impaired or struggling readers.

Among the many innovative tools, programs that converted printed text into audible speech have been among the most popular. Although originally designed for students who were visually impaired or had learning difficulties, educators soon realized that text-to-speech software could benefit students with a broad spectrum of learning needs, including English Language Learners.

It is not surprising, given its early history, that educators using text-to-speech software with children with special needs were among the first to recognize the benefits of such programs for English Language Learners. Many began to notice how much programs such as Kurzweil 3000 were also helping their English Language Learners become more proficient in English. Improvements in the quality of synthesized speech have continued to make these programs even more effective for this population.

Until recently, only a handful of software programs have been available for English Language Learners at the post secondary level. These programs, while useful, focus on specific skills such as typing, phonics and vocabulary. None provide the vital support English Language Learners need to work independently with text materials used in or outside the classroom. Text-to-speech software, because it provides access to virtually any printed material through scanning, as well as to digital files and the web, provides the individual support English Language Learners require. Students can load text-to-speech software onto their own laptops or download files to MP3 players and can automatically convert word processing documents or worksheets to text-to-speech format. By being able to read any kind of text at any time and in any location, English Language Learners can take charge of their own learning and gain true independence.

Based on the growing interest in using text-to-speech applications with English Language Learners, a key innovator in this field, Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc., has recently introduced an edition of its popular software program, Kurzweil 3000, especially for students who want to improve their English language proficiency. The program, which can be used with any content, reads out loud to students while simultaneously highlighting words on the screen. Students can also read web pages as well as utilize a host of writing, study skills and test-taking tools. A closer look at this sophisticated reading, writing and learning software demonstrates the many ways text-to-speech software can benefit English Language Learners.

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. White Paper

3

Specific Features of Kurzweil 3000 That Meet the Learning Needs of English Language Learners

Kurzweil 3000 offers English Language Learners a broad range of features that collectively address the specific needs identified by instructors working with this population at the post secondary level. These include:

Multi-Sensory support Kurzweil 3000 offers English Language Learners the multi-sensory reinforcement so critical to learning. Students can:

? Simultaneously listen to and read scanned text, image text (such as PDF files), digital files and Internet pages

? Visually track words and phrases on screen as they are read aloud ? Make text notes or listen to recorded notes ? Hear their own writing read aloud to them ? Use colored highlighters and other visual prompts to identify important information

? Create audio files for listening to text anywhere

Opportunities to hear authentic text across all subject areas Exposure to authentic text is one of the best ways to introduce English Language Learners to a variety of writing styles and formats. By experiencing different writing formats firsthand, students learn the conventions for writing essays, critiques or research reports. Kurzweil 3000 facilitates this process by enabling English Language Learners to:

? Scan text, or access digital files, then simultaneously listen to and read any printed material while retaining the document's original formatting

? "Read" articles from the Internet ? Add notations or questions to discuss with the instructor

? Highlight features critical to different conventions

Pronunciation and vocabulary instruction Kurzweil 3000 is an ideal tool for helping English Language Learners develop a stronger vocabulary. Students gain a greater understanding of words by being able to hear and read them in context. They can look up unfamiliar words as they read, highlight words for future reference and create vocabulary lists organized by topic or attribute. Kurzweil 3000 features that help strengthen vocabulary include:

? Access to a variety of audible dictionaries including standard and children's English dictionaries (users can also look up words within a definition if needed)

? Easy access to popular picture dictionaries ? Audible dictionary definitions in English, French, German, Spanish or Italian, and the ability to

read text in any of these languages ? Vocabulary lists of homophones and easily confused words (teachers or students can also

create their own vocabulary lists for quick reference) ? A thesaurus to generate a list of synonyms ? A syllable tool which gives the syllabification of words, parts of speech, roots, prefixes and/or

suffixes as well as the correct pronunciation

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. White Paper

4

Fluency training Fluency is the ability to read independently with ease and accuracy at a reasonable speed. English Language Learners often read haltingly and without attention to punctuation, and need practice in grouping words into meaningful grammatical units. Kurzweil 3000 helps increase fluency by enabling English Language Learners to:

? Read text in phrases to focus on meaningful groupings of words ? Limit the amount of text on the screen to more carefully study the composition of ? each sentence ? Gradually increase reading intervals to improve fluency ? Control the speed at which text is read to facilitate comprehension ? Train the eye to move more quickly across the page to increase reading speed ? Listen to text multiple times to reinforce the flow and cadence of the words

Multiple exposures to the same text The ability to read text multiple times has been shown to improve both comprehension and fluency, however, many English Language Learners find the process of rereading to be very arduous. Kurzweil 3000 facilitates multiple readings by making it easy to:

? Pre-read text to highlight key ideas to use as a guide when reading ? Re-read passages with the click of a mouse ? Jot questions or comments on text or sticky notes for later review ? Highlight important information for further review ? Insert bookmarks to instantly locate specific parts of a document for further study ? Listen to text as many times as needed

Note-taking features improve comprehension Given the large volume of text English Language Learners are expected to read, effective note-taking is critical to digesting and summarizing essential information for easy reference when writing papers or studying for exams. A number of Kurzweil 3000 features facilitate the note-taking process including:

? Use of text or sticky notes to jot down information while reading ? Ability to drag and drop text into a text or sticky note ? Use of notes to generate questions that can later be converted into a separate document

(this can be done by the teacher as well and used as a study guide by the student) ? Highlight critical information to turn into an outline for further study ? Voice notes to enable students to express more complex ideas in their own words

Kurzweil Educational Systems, Inc. White Paper

5

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download